[1][2] In 1819, during the Caucasian War, Russian troops razed to the ground the Chechen aul Dadan-Yurt.

The commander-in-chief of the Russian army Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov had the child given for nursing to Cossack Zakhar Nedonosov.

[3] Later Pyotr appended the word Chechenets to his surname in order to show his ethnic identity.

He graduated in 1835 with a diploma of Free Artist and was recommended for a scholarship to study art in Italy.

[3] Another misfortune followed as Zakarov's first teacher, Lev Volkov, refused to allow his daughter to marry Zakharov despite the young people being in love.

His clients included the favorite daughter of Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna and her future husband Maximilian, Duke of Leuchtenberg.